My wife, who is a rabbi, generally does not officiate at interfaith weddings.

But when a widowed Holocaust survivor and close friend of ours wanted to marry another close friend, my wife was supportive; clearly they were not going to have any children. Holding the Jewish community's line on not performing interfaith marriages or the happiness of this couple?

I am not suggesting that it is preferable for Jewish women to marry non-Jewish men, although I have seen a fair share of religiously unenthusiastic Jewish men hold back their wives' spiritual quests.

However, I do believe that rather than remaining single, it is clearly preferable for single Jewish women in their mid-30s to marry non-Jewish men who are supportive of their spiritual journey and who will raise halachically recognized Jewish children.

I’m Jewish, and the answer to your question depends on all the things you left out.

You didn’t mention whether or not she is a religious Jewish person or a secular Jewish person.

A comprehensive 1997 survey by the American Jewish Committee found that the feeling of being Jewish is "very important" for 60 percent of women and 41 percent of men.

Empowering and embracing Jewish women as spiritual ambassadors of the Jewish people to potential non-Jewish mates is a mitzvah on many levels.

I was a "nice Jewish girl" looking to date a "nice Jewish boy" when I met him.As a result, many of our Jewish leaders and even major philanthropists are finding that their grandchildren are not necessarily being raised Jewishly.But not every interfaith marriage is a threat to Jewish continuity.The word "intermarriage" has been the convenient scapegoat for many of the ills in American Jewish life.Countless sermons have been wasted on this topic, and its specter has launched numerous fund-raising campaigns for institutions that usually have little clue on how to creatively adapt to a changing community.Most of the Jewish people I know well don’t consider themselves religious at all. However, most of the Jewish people I know are also somewhat observant Jews, which means that they go to Temple on some of the Jewish Holy days, and sometimes observe the Sabbath ritual, not because of the religious significance for them, but because it’s a cultural tradition that they cherish.